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Catholic World News News Feature

US Bishops Urge Catholic Politicians To Defend Life November 19, 1998

WASHINGTON, DC (CWNews.com) - The National Conference of Catholic Bishops in Washington, DC for their biannual meeting urged Catholic politicians on Wednesday to support the dignity of all human life, not just in their personal beliefs but in their official duties.

The bishops approved a statement 217 to 30 with one of the strongest pro-life declarations ever made by the conference. First, they urged all Catholics to vote for pro-life candidates running for public office, and then told Catholic politicians that agreeing with the Church's teachings on poverty, housing, and health care does not exempt them from the necessity to protect life. Being "right" on those issues "can never excuse a wrong choice regarding direct attacks on innocent human life," they said.

Some bishops worried that telling politicians how to vote could create a backlash against the Church. "Any statement that tells people how to vote will be ill-received by Catholic and non-Catholic alike," said Bishop Howard Hubbard of Albany, New York. "If a Catholic officeholder changes his position on life issues of abortion or the death penalty ... he or she could well be accused by political opponents of caving in to the dictates of the church, a tool of the bishops," Bishop Hubbard said. "We should trust people ... to cast their votes."

In other business on Wednesday, the bishops also discussed proposed standards for Catholic colleges and universities which would require presidents of those institutions to take an oath of fidelity to the Church and require theologians to receive permission from local bishops to teach. The standards would also urge the schools to recruit faithful Catholics as faculty.